The Bruce Lee Connection

What does Bruce Lee have to do with Wing Chun? It's not just martial arts name-dropping. In fact, long before he became famous as a Hollywood actor, he helped make Wing Chun famous in Hong Kong.

1940

November 27--born in San Francisco, CA at the Jackson Street Hospital. Son of Lee Hoi-Chuen and Grace Lee. Named Lee Jun-Fan, meaning "Return again Lee" in hopes he'd return to the United States some day ["Lee" is pronounced "lay" in Cantonese].

1941

Returned with family to Kowloon, Hong Kong.

1952

Entered La Salle College, a Catholic boy's school.

1952-1959

Attended St. Francis Xavier College [this isn't a college as the word is used in the USA, but what we call a high school].

1954-1957

Studied Wing Chun under the instruction of Yip Man. Learned as far as the second hand form and part of the wooden dummy form. Didn't finish the wooden dummy form, learn the third hand form or weapons forms. With Wong Sheun-Leung, William Cheung, and others, made Wing Chun famous in Hong Kong by winning numerous challenge matches against other martial artists.

1957-1958

Continued Wing Chun under the instruction of Wong Shun-Leung.

1957-1959

Continued Wing Chun under the instruction of William Cheung.

1958

Appeared in Movie "The Orphan." Won Crown Colony Cha-Cha Championship.

1959

April--returned to San Francisco, California, USA.

1959-1963

Moved to Seattle, Washington. Finished High School, then majored in Philosophy at the University of Washington. Since he hadn't completed his study of Wing Chun and faced now with larger opponents, he began to examine and incorporate aspects of other martial arts into his fighting style. This eventually led him to create and teach his own personal system.

1963-1964

1964

August--gave first major demonstration at Ed Parker's Long Beach Karate Internationals.

Married Linda C. Emery in Seattle. Lived with James Yimm Lee family in Oakland.

1965

February 1--son Brandon born.

Visited Hong Kong.

September--returned from Hong Kong to Seattle.

1966

March--moved to Los Angeles.

1966-1967

9 September 1966-14 July 1967--appeared as Kato in the television series "The Green Hornet" [what you see in his TV and movie roles is not Wing Chun--instead this is his "movie" style].

1969

Appeared in "Marlowe" with James Garner.

April 19--daughter Shannon born.

1971

October--moved to Hong Kong.

Starred in "The Big Boss" and "Fist of Fury."

1972

Starred in "Way of the Dragon" and "Game of Death" (unfinished).

Assisted in the publication of "Wing Chun Kung Fu" with James Yimm Lee.

December 1--death of Bruce's Wing Chun Sifu Yip Man in Hong Kong. Bruce did not attend the funeral--conflicting reasons have been given.

1973

Starred in "Enter the Dragon."

July 20--died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Hong Kong. I won't go into the rumors about cause of death; instead read one of his many biographies--I recommend the one by Linda Lee, his widow.

Buried at Lakeview Cemetery, Seattle.
If you with to pay your respects in person, Lake View Cemetery is at 1554 15th Avenue East, just north of Volunteer Park, in the Capitol Hill area east of downtown Seattle. After entering the cemetery, follow the road straight ahead towards the top of the hill. Then turn north from there and within a few feet you should find the gravesite of Bruce and his son Brandon just to your right (east) of the road. Gates are open from 9 A.M. to 6 P.M.